Featured Articles

A primer: How Vermont law enforcement agencies must handle immigration issues

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Toward the end of last week’s Chester Select Board meeting, as members were discussing items for future agendas, Arne Jonynas asked what the relationship is between the Chester Police Department and federal immigration authorities in light of recent arrests of both documented and undocumented immigrants in Vermont. […]

Neighbors plead with Chester board to enforce on quarry violations

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC In an otherwise light meeting – mostly followups and housekeeping – the Chester Select Board last Wednesday heard from neighbors complaining that the Julian quarries in Gassetts were continuing to violate a signed agreement with the town. The quarries were cited by the town for violations in […]

Ludlow resident, a fugitive from Brazil, arrested on federal firearms charges

By Mike Donoghue Vermont News First BURLINGTON An international fugitive, who is wanted on a child rape charge in Brazil and has lived in the United States unlawfully for more than four years, has been arrested in Windsor County on federal firearms charges after a series of gun incidents, officials said this week. Gabriel Lopes […]

Well attended forum explores future of education in Vermont

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday night’s forum on statewide education reform, sponsored by the Chester Democratic Committee, attracted about 40 people of many political stripes. And it was remarkable for  the extent to which members of the invited panel — also of different political persuasions — agreed on the problems and […]

Firings at federal heating program could impact more than 23,000 Vermont households

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Next winter could be a lot harder for hundreds of households in Windsor and Windham counties — and more than 23,000 statewide — if the federal program that provides seasonal and emergency heating assistance for low income households is not restored by the Trump administration. Last Tuesday, […]

Hands Off rally in Chester draws large, peaceful crowd

By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC A crowd of around 500 showed up on the Chester Green on chilly, gray Saturday to send a message to the Trump administration and that message was “Hands Off.” Protesters brought mostly hand-made signs that expressed the taxpayer-funded services and rights they wanted left […]

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  • May 9 memorial service for Leona Hazen

    May 9 memorial service for Leona Hazen

    There will be a memorial service for Leona Mary Hazen who died on Jan. 19, 2025 at the age of 93 at 11 a.m. on Friday May 9 at St. Joseph’s Church, 148 S. Main St. in Chester with burial to follow at the North Street Cemetery.

  • Poet Laureate to read from her work April 17 as Chester celebrates National Poetry Month

    Poet Laureate to read from her work April 17 as Chester celebrates National Poetry Month

    To celebrate National Poetry Month, Upstairs at Town Hall will sponsor a presentation by Vermont Poet Laureate Bianca Stone at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 17 at the Chester Town Hall Theater, 556 Elm St. She will read from her work, speak about being a writer in Vermont and sign copies of her latest book […]

  • Volunteers build planters to benefit Chester Townscape

    Volunteers build planters to benefit Chester Townscape

    Last summer, Stu Stocker, a volunteer with Chester Townscape, offered to build raised wood planters to raffle as part of the group’s fundraising activities at the Chester Festival on The Green. The raffle was successful, and many people expressed interest in the sturdy, well-designed pieces. Stocker has designed and built many things over the years […]

  • Springfield Rotary sponsoring April Diaper Drive

    Springfield Rotary sponsoring April Diaper Drive

    Springfield Rotary Club is sponsoring a diaper drive throughout the month of April to benefit the diaper bank at Springfield Area Parent Child Center. Size 4+ and Pull-Ups are preferred. Donations can be dropped off at the following locations: Chester Chester Hardware & Mercantile, 21 Main St. M&T Bank, 57 S. Main St. Springfield Community […]

  • To the editor: S66 is a bill that is just noise, nuisance

    To the editor: S66 is a bill that is just noise, nuisance

    Is S66 really needed? Just a few things Sen. Alison Clarkson fails to mention about S66 (To the editor: Clarkson updates legislative work at the halfway mark The Chester Telegraph, March 31.)   Currently, there are laws that govern public nuisance in creating loud noises. Maybe instead of creating more laws about loud noises, our public […]

  • Auditions for Agatha Christie play April 9 & 12

    Auditions for Agatha Christie play April 9 & 12

    Springfield Community Players is staging another whodunit by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, for its summer production. Director Miles Ledoux is seeking nine actors — four to play females in their 20s to 40s and five to play males in their 20s to 60s — to star in the one-act play The Patient. Auditions […]

  • To the editor: Senior Solutions thanks Chester for its support, commitment to those aging

    To the editor: Senior Solutions thanks Chester for its support, commitment to those aging

    Thank you to the generous residents of Chester. Yet again, you have shown your support for Senior Solutions. I am the executive director for Senior Solutions, and it is heartwarming to see Chester’s commitment to our aging neighbors and family members. For over 50 years, Senior Solutions has been a trusted partner in providing guidance, […]

  • Paper flower making workshop April 12

    Paper flower making workshop April 12

    To celebrate a Cavendish springtime, the Cavendish Historical Society will be hosting a Paper Flower Workshop, where participants can make a variety of flowers, as well as a unique Easter favor, from various types of paper. The workshop is free, open to the public, and will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, […]

  • Whiting to hold readings, screen film

    Whiting to hold readings, screen film

    Whiting Library announces a series of events featuring the book Gather by Vermont author Kenneth Cadow. Gather is this year’s Vermont Reads book, a statewide, one-book community reading program sponsored by Vermont Humanities. Free copies of the book are available while supplies last at Whiting Library, 117 Main St. A book discussion facilitated by Eric […]

  • Henry Homeyer: Start slowly to work up to spring gardening

    Henry Homeyer: Start slowly to work up to spring gardening

    By Henry Homeyer ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC It’s April, and spring has sprung. Or will soon. Winter always is a sneaky devil, coming back with hard frosts and even a foot of snow on occasion. There is much to do, but start slowly – not just for your back, which has been resting all winter, […]

  • Vietnam veterans honored at pinning ceremony

    Vietnam veterans honored at pinning ceremony

    By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Neighborhood Connections in Londonderry hosted a Vietnam War Commemoration last Tuesday. The ceremony was one of the last to mark the 5oth anniversary of the war that ended in 1975. Such commemorations began in 2008. Tuesday’s commemoration included a pinning ceremony in which veterans […]

  • Forum on education's future at Chester Town Hall

    Forum on education’s future at Chester Town Hall

    Are you puzzled by what you hear about the School Transformation Plan? If so, come to the Town Hall Forum on the Future of Education in Vermont. The event is sponsored by the Chester Town Democratic Committee and will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 14 at Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm St. […]

  • Three bands to play Heald Auditorium in Ludlow

    Three bands to play Heald Auditorium in Ludlow

    Get ready to rock! This April 5, three powerhouse bands are set to take the stage for an unforgettable night of music, energy and excitement you won’t want to miss. The Friends of Ludlow Auditorium  is sponsoring this musical treat at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 in the Heald Auditorium of Ludlow’s Town Hall.  […]

  • Spring ice storm knocks out power to thousands

    Spring ice storm knocks out power to thousands

    By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC As temperatures rise and shards of ice fall from the trees they have bent or broken, a drizzle of rain continues to fall while power crews work to restore electricity to thousands of customers in our area. The freezing rainstorm, which began on Saturday morning, deposited ice […]

  • Springfield man held on arson, more than a dozen other charges

    Springfield man held on arson, more than a dozen other charges

    A Springfield man was arrested on Saturday morning on more than a dozen charges, including arson in connection with a fire that destroyed a home in Athens earlier that day. Vermont State Police say that Benjamin Stocker, 33, was arrested at his home in Springfield and was being held at Southern State Correctional Facility on […]

  • To the editor: Clarkson updates legislative work at the halfway mark

    To the editor: Clarkson updates legislative work at the halfway mark

    Both chambers in the Vermont Legislature are working their way through the large number of bills which ‘made’ the ‘cross-over’ deadline. Cross-over is a deadline we set each year which roughly marks the halfway point of our Legislative Session. It forces us to finish the work in our House and Senate committees on the bills […]

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